KEVIN M. Johnston Director, MSU T.A. Programs kmj@msu

1. Effective Teaching ‘On-Time:’ Strategies and Tips for Efficiently Planning and Facilitating a Course KEVIN M. Johnston Director, MSU T.A. Programs kmj@msu.edu

2. Have You Faced This Challenge? • What do you do when your preparation time is limited? It’s 3 a.m. and you’ve yet to prepare for your 9 a.m. class (that would be the one on the topic you didn’t plan to teach, in a course you’re not quite sure you know much about.). It happens! How can we “economize” our preparation? Can we, as Therese Huston artfully claims, “…teach what we don’t know…” well? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

3. Funny (?), But Really Happens: • Free-Writing Exercises! • “[Let’s] Read Aloud!” • “[Do You Have] Any Questions?” Do We Ever Just…Send Them Home? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

4. Workshop Topics/Goals • How Can We Efficiently AND Effectively PLAN and DELIVER (Even when we don’t have much time)? • How Can GOAL-SETTING Shape Presentation Success? • How Do we “Teach What We Don’t Know?” • How Do We Get Our Students to Help us? • What Guidelines… Can We Follow to Help Us Teach “On Time?” MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

5. Teaching What You Don’t Know • What “THEY” Don’t Want to Talk about… • What Are We “EXPECTED” to Know? • How Does Considering This Topic Raise Issues about Credibility? Gender? Race? (Therese Huston, 2009) MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

6. Scott Harrison – Wayne State University Lecturer • Invite and Motivate Student dialogue (Check-in…) • Content Review • META-Reports – describing key components of text and associative literature • Connecting content to social media • PHYSICALLY engage key points on content (build in mental muscle-memory) 6 NEW COURSES in 2009/2010: 30 to 300+ Students MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

7. Thinking about Content… • For What Should We Be Responsible (As Teachers)? • Information? • Facilitation? • Assessment? • What Can We Control? • What Should You Be Thinking About RIGHT NOW? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

8. What Can We KNOW to Help Us Plan? • Audience (Why Are You HERE?) • Prerequisites/Experiences • Expectations • Future Goals/Plans How Can We Clarify AND CONNECT our intentions and expectations with student expectations? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

9. What Can We KNOW to Help Us Plan? • Classroom Goals (What Are You Doing Today?) • Think Small! • Think “META” • Expectations • Future Goals/Plans How Can We Clarify AND CONNECT our intentions and expectations with student expectations? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

10. How Do We Decide What is Important? • What Kind of Learning Do You Hope to Prompt? • Encourages contact between students and faculty • Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students • Encourages active learning • Gives prompt feedback • Emphasizes time on task • Communicates high expectations • Respects diverse talents and ways of learning. (Chickering and Gamson, 1987) MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

11. How Might Time Shape Our Decisions about What’s Important • Why Do Your Students Need to Know This Stuff? • How Much do You Really Know about This Stuff? • What is Your “BARE BONES” Responsibility as a TEACHER? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

12. Guidelines for Thinking about Class Preparation(Handout) • How do the Upper Left and Lower Right Blocks compare? • How Do You Feel abut “Teaching to The Test?”(When Should We Do This?) • Could You Pull Off Upper Left in Lower Right Circumstances? How? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

13. Recommendations For Planning • Rely on Your Colleagues! • What Departmental information already exists? • What Can Your Peers Recommend? • Read As Much As You Can. (Huston recommends, “…everything…” • Recognize “Foundational and Institutional” Goals • Plan content around Text First, Supplementary readings second. Default to TEXT when Appropriate. • Guest Speakers – Careful! But When Good, They are Great for “Filling In” during Busy Times. MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

14. Recommendations For Planning (cont.) • Keep IT SIMPLE! (Don’t Try to Reinvent The Wheel!) • “Pre-Prepare Your Students by Giving Them Detailed Learning Objectives, KEY Points, and a SYLLABUS That Clearly Defines Objectives and how Students Can Reach Them. MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

15. Recommendations for Presenting • Power Point (or other software) focused on key issues (make it available when pressed for time) • Handouts! Handouts! Handouts! (But with Explanations for Why They Are Important.) • Get Regular Feedback from Students (They WILL Tell You What’s Going on…) MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

16. Recommendations for Assessing • Create Rubrics (CO-Create with Your Students) • Investigate Your Teaching Impact Regularly • Follow-Up with What You Find… • …Change Accordingly MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

17. “Three Steps to Disaster…” • Go It Alone… • Try to Cover Everything Known about The Subject • Make Yourself Available for EVERY Question ANY Student MIGHT Ask. • Ignore Making up Learning Objectives • Create a “Bad” Syllabus (Felder & Brent, 2007) MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

18. Why Approach This Issue THIS Way? Considering Well The Connection Between Clearly Defined Goals, Expectations, and How to Reach Them Will help you Clarify Objectives, Even in “Pressured” Moments. MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

19. Summarizing Today’s Workshop • You Can Plan Accordingly for Situations in Which You Feel Like You Don’t Have All the Time You Would Like to Prepare. • The “Guidelines…” are just those: Ways of Thinking about How Basic Planning and Preparation can Help You Adapt to Situations Similar to Those We Have Discussed. MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010

20. How Else Can I Help You Today? MSU TAP Workshops - Fall 2010